Lonely World
by perfectboy-lonelytoy
Summary: Rukia is set on a new, dangerous path through the world of hollows.


She stood exhausted in line with the rest of the academy students. A muscled instructor's stoic expression gradually curled downward into a frown as he barked out his first words. "All right maggots! This is what you've been training for! Seven years in the academy, and there's no putting it off any longer." Her breath hitched. Could it be? "We're going on a trip to the real world." It was. Glancing sideways she saw the excited expressions of her classmates. "You're gonna be of some fuckin use for once. We're gonna exterminate some hollows!" The electricity of the moment spread through the air.

"Yes finally!"

"Hmph. It's about time."

"We're really real shinigami now…"

She tuned them out. As if fighting hollows were really so simple. Long ago, before she had met Renji, she felt the trappings of hunger and escaped with stolen bread into the forest surrounding District 78. She planned to stay for a few days, then slink back into town unnoticed. Gradually an uneasy feeling began to overtake her. Curious, she used her instincts and crept closer to the source of the feeling when she started to hear a noise in the distance. Her eyes darted around. Pop, pop, pop! She turned toward her feet. A clump of bloodied flesh lay without fanfare on the ground. She brought her hands over her mouth and hissed, and where was that damn popping sound coming from? Shaking with fear she backed away and scanned the forest once more. The air felt thick with malice… She swiveled her head upward and finally found the source of the noise. A black beast as big as the surrounding trees crunched on a crumpled body like she would a handful of sunflower seeds. It lay hunched over its food and seemed oblivious to anything but its meal. She ran, and through sheer luck wasn't spotted. Let's see them fight a hollow when you feel the terror first hand.

"Oi! Did you hear that Rukia? You're finally gonna see me in action! I bet I take out twice as many hollows as you!" Renji seemed as clueless as usual at least.

"It's not a game you idiot." Rukia mumbled under her breath.

"Hm?"

"I said you're an idiot, fool!" she bit back harshly.

He seemed a bit surprised, usually it took longer for her to get angry at him. "Whatever midget." He crossed his arms but from his face didn't look mad in the slightest. Damn idiot…

"You'll be separated into several groups where you'll work in coordination with other trainees and a real shinigami who will be supervising your technique. Keep your pride at the door. And before you get any delusions of grandeur, we don't need any heroes. Don't do something stupid. You got that?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the squad's discipline came to the front again.

"Good. We'll leave in the morning. Dismissed!"

* * *

"I'm finally gonna prove myself to those stuck up nobles. They'll have to recognize my strength if I make captain one day." Renji grinned as they walked in step.

"It won't matter anyways. Not even captain would be enough for nii-san to accept you." She said rattling on. "I don't know why you care that much about the Kuchiki nobles anyways. They're stuck up, but it's not like they can stop us from being friends."

He frowned as they took steps toward the barracks. "Feh. They'll accept my greatness eventually. Do you wanna go out for some drinks? It's good to loosen up before a battle y'know."

"No thanks. I try to take this seriously, unlike some people."

"Well suit yourself." Renji glanced up and away. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Despite her words Rukia wished she could have that sort of confidence going into her possible death. She was as strong as him once, but all she was good at now was kido, and even then judging by what she had seen from other full-fledged Shinigami it was average at best. She could see her funeral now, Byakuya standing stoically at her grave, while Renji bawls his eyes out with tears. "Quiet commoner, I'm mourning beautifully." She snorted to herself. Maybe he wouldn't go at all. That was the most likely thing, Renji standing alone, the only one who would remember. She became sober at the thought.

She entered her room and started to take a few practice swings with her Asauchi. She knew kido was her best chance at doing much of anything to hollows, but she felt it was important on some level for a Shinigami to actually use their sword. Any advantage is a welcome one, and she wouldn't be able to take it if she had to get saved by someone else tomorrow. Byakuya already doubted her abilities-if she proved herself truly useless then her chances of getting a position as a productive shinigami were basically none. She took a few more frustrated practice swings. It was too late to do anything at this point. She sighed and looked out at the sunset. She should've gone with Renji, especially since this really might be her last day with him.

Rukia had seen her room mate with some sake hidden in the room somewhere hadn't she? Ah, there it was, hidden under a set of clothes in the dresser. She took a swig, and put it back. A minute passed as she glanced around. Not much in the room that was hers. She shared it with three other girls from minor noble families which Byakuya deemed acceptable. They didn't mean to exclude her but they had lived their lives in a different world, she was too different, and not even centuries could bridge the gap of a culture from blood. Ugh. If she's still thinking about blood status its clear she hasn't had enough sake yet.

"Ah what the hell." Rukia murmured to herself. Feeling that she was supposed to be a bit more daring before battle, she took it out again and finished the bottle, no going back. The stars were out bright now in the warm summer night. She slumped by the open screen door. Even her roommates would be good to talk to at this point. But in the end no one came.

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Oh shit. Alcohol was strictly prohibited to students, and she had never felt such a headache. Failing because she got drunk the night before an important mission might be the only worse possible outcome than fighting like shit. Byakuya's disgraced drunkard step-sister...she shook her head. The bastard pounding on all the doors wasn't helping matters either. She groggily stumbled around for her sword and made it out the door. She was among the last to assemble as the instructor made his speech and they headed out for battle.

For once she was glad the squads were to be separated by social status so Renji couldn't see her fight. She didn't want him to see just how woefully lacking his rival was, she didn't think she could bear it if even he stopped looking at her as an equal.

"Good luck shrimp." Renji smirked as his squad slipped past hers.

She turned her back, "You need it more dumbass."

Well it was all up to her now. Ten minutes passed, then the shinigami broke the hollow bait and the melee began. Immediately black portals opened up over the chosen wasteland, and a dozen hollows surged through. The aura the hollows gave off felt instantly familiar, and as she had suspected it proved to be too much for the noble recruits in her group. The malice and hate was too raw for Seireitei born brats who weren't used to such things. She tightened her grip on her sword. At least she was already doing better than some people. Unfortunately, two hollows decided to go for the group she was in, and the shinigami looking over them could only focus on one at a time. One of the hollows with long, spindly legs was setting after the students, who began to realize they were alone in this fight.

Several students timidly began to take swipes at its limbs while the hollow slashed down with its long gangly claws. If the hollow was smart enough to go after one of them individually they wouldn't stand a chance, but fortunately the students seemed to have come up with a strategy that wouldn't get them killed. Realizing that the stalemate could at any moment suddenly end badly if the hollow changed its behavior, Rukia attempted to end the fight quickly and began an incantation.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh-"

The hollow swiveled its head to look directly at her. Oh, that was bad.

"all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name-"

It was beginning to turn its limbs into motion toward her.

"of Man! Inferno and Pandemon-"

It was gaining speed.

"-ium, the sea barrier surges, march on tothesouth!"

Running now at full speed, two paces away,

**Hado #31. Shakkaho**!

The moment it left her fingers her heart sank in her chest. By pure chance the hollow's awkward movement caused its head to loll out of the way of the blast. It let out an unearthly shriek as the heat from the blast caused its arm to bubble like tar in the hot sun.

The hollow's head surged forward in rage, limbs forgotten as its mouth aimed to bite Rukia in two.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" She brought the sword in front of her and the hollow's momentum fell forward. A second passed, then two. Both hollow and Rukia stood still as the world passed. The sword pierced the hollow's eye, and black ichor oozed from the wound. She looked up, face frozen in shock. The right side of the hollow's mask past its eye had chipped off revealing a human face underneath, stricken with grief and anger.

"You bitch! You fucking bitch! I'll kill you. I'll kill you a thousand fucking times you bitch!" The hollow turned away doubling over in pain, sword embedded in deep. Blindly, the hollow swiped down its claw, and opened up a black portal to Hueco Mundo. She stared at it blankly. The situation finally registered, and she yelled, "Wait! You can't do that! Come back!" If she lost her sword here there was no becoming a shinigami. They might even drop her out of the academy for being so stupid. But the hollow seemed ignorant of her at the moment, and slowly trudged into the portal.

"Shit!" The other academy students looked on, similarly stunned at what just happened. The shinigami was still finishing his battle with the other hollow attacking the group. "Shit, Fuck, Shit!"

Again she would have to do it alone. No incantation, not enough time. It would be weaker, but it was the only thing fast enough she had. But was it strong enough?

**Hado #31 Shakkaho**!

A red burst of fire left her hands and the flames seared through the neck of the hollow. His decapitated head fell limply through the portal with her sword immobilized in the eye. Quickly she dashed forward through the portal. As she crossed, she felt a blast of cold air hit her on the other side. She pulled but it wouldn't give. She would have to take the whole head. She turned back, but there no was nowhere left to return. The Garganta had closed.


End file.
